Villupuram's missing COVID-19 patient traced a week later

A week after he was prematurely discharged from a government hospital in Villupuram, a 30-year-old man from Delhi whose second test for COVID-19 turned out to be positive, was traced near Chengalpattu by Villupuram police on Tuesday.

Speaking to TNM, Villupuram Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar said, “He was found at Padalam in Chengalpattu, where he has been staying for the past three days. He is now being brought back to Villupuram Medical College.”

On the night of April 7, four people were discharged from a government quarantine facility in Villupuram prematurely. Later, when their test results came back positive for COVID-19, the police immediately scrambled to find them. While they were able to find three of the four people who were released ‘by mistake’, the fourth person fell off their radar.

Based on a tip off from the public, around 6.15 pm on April 14, Villupuram police drove up to Padalam near Chengalpattu to bring him back to Villupuram. His COVID-19 tests will be reconfirmed. “We have told him that we want to recheck his samples,” the SP said.

Seven police teams and dozens of health workers were part of this operation and finally a call from Padalam on Tuesday helped them track his exact location. “In the morning we put out posters with his details in three languages – Hindi, Tamil and English throughout the national highways. A Hindi speaking man found out about this and informed a Tamil speaking man. Later they called the Inspector’s number in the poster. Upon confirmation, we drove to Padalam and secured the man. This was achieved with help from the public,” the SP explains.

Upon reconfirming his test results, officials will take appropriate measures to track his movements and contacts.